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A franchise is a business opportunity that allows franchisees to license the rights to an existing business model, including the business logos, advertising and products. The franchisee is the owner of his independent franchise, but he typically pays a licensing fee to the franchise owner. Franchisees may also be required to meet performance and revenue goals. For the franchise owner, one of the ways to maintain franchise consistency is to maintain quality in franchise training.

Invest in Training

Plan to invest a fair amount of your financial resources into developing a solid training program for the long-term. Training should include several components such as training manuals, video or online training, in addition to significant time spent working hands-on and observing operations inside different franchise locations. A good training system should also have professional trainers providing education on franchise operations with trainer-led seminars or classroom work, in addition to working alongside your franchise owners and their staff at their locations.

Train the Trainers

Maintain consistency in training by using a dedicated team of professional trainers to conduct all franchise training. Training is only as good as the delivery, so invest as much in training the trainers as you would to train your franchise operators. Whether you hire an organization specializing in franchise and corporate training or hire employees to develop and conduct the training, consistency within the training staff is key. Hire quality trainers who know how to deliver the message of your organization in a thoughtful, invigorating manner that motivates and supports your franchise owners.

Feedback

Ask for regular feedback from your franchise operators about the training program. Your franchise owners are the best resource to identify what is working in the training and what needs improvement. Allow them to rate their trainers and provide suggestions for change. Maintain an open dialogue to find out what additional training the owners and staff may need.

Ongoing Support

Provide ongoing training support to your franchisees. Make your training staff available at all times to answer questions and provide support to new and seasoned franchise operators. Use quality-control evaluators to shop all franchise locations and provide an objective report of the service and product quality. Use this information to create additional training procedures as needed. In any good business model, training and development never stops. As processes change, introduce new training to support the changes.

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About the Author

Sara Melone is a mother of three and a graduate of UNH. With prior careers in insurance and finance, photography, as well as certifications in fitness and nutrition, Melone draws directly from past experience and varying interests. She contributes with equal passion to birth journals, investment blogs, and self-help websites.